# Why are cabin lights turned down on takeoff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376 "2019-11-13T19:40:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/1 "2019-11-13T19:40:22Z")
I can’t think of any safety related issues that would justify darkening the interior of a plane for 5 minutes during takeoff. Or any other reason. So, why do they do it? Is it really important? Necessary? Is it just to affect passenger’s frame of mind for some reason? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/2 "2019-11-13T20:08:04Z")
According to a quick google search, this is done so that your eyes are adjusted to the dark. If there is a problem and you need to get to the emergency exit, you’ll want to already be used to a dark plane interior (because the lights might not work after an emergency landing/crash). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/3 "2019-11-13T20:08:53Z")
[It’s so your eyes will be adjusted low light levels in case there is an emergency.](https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-real-reason-planes-dim-the-lights-during-takeoff-and-landing)Takeoff and landing are the most dangerous parts of the flight. In case of a crash, you will be better able to find your way and see the floor lights and exit signs. For the same reason the windows are raised, so the crew will have a view of the exterior in an emergency. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/4 "2019-11-13T20:15:39Z")
Ok, I read the link, and I’m not here to argue, BUT, it does seem counterproductive to ensure the cabin is dark by turning down the lights and then insisting that the shades be up. (I also wonder if any actual emergencies have corroborated the validity of the working theories.) Ok, I’m done. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/5 "2019-11-13T20:21:55Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Ok, I read the link, and I’m not here to argue, BUT, it does seem counterproductive to ensure the cabin is dark by turning down the lights and then insisting that the shades be up. Did you read the last paragraph? > [@](#): > > Along the same lines, having the shades up gives everyone more awareness of their surroundings, and offers flight attendants a view outside in case of an equipment abnormality or hazards—think debris or fires that may affect an evacuation. And many passengers are more comfortable during takeoff and landing—the two most dangerous parts of the journey—if they can see outside, and note their orientation to the ground. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/6 "2019-11-13T20:48:22Z")
Yes, I read it. I understand their rationale. It still seems counterproductive i.e. make it dark and open the shades. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/7 "2019-11-13T21:08:25Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Yes, I read it. I understand their rationale. It still seems counterproductive i.e. make it dark and open the shades. They’re not “making it dark,” they are (mostly) using the naturally available outside light. That way if you have to exit the plane, your eyes will actually be adjusted to how light it is outside. If they closed the windows and then just used dim interior lights, there could be more of a mismatch since the exterior light levels are changing continuously at dawn and dusk. ---
**Author:** ![EdelweissPirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@EdelweissPirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdelweissPirate)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/8 "2019-11-13T21:17:13Z")
Right—this is self-regulating. The point is to need no adjustment to the lighting conditions inside the plane in a situation in which one needs to escape. Since you can’t count on powered interior lights in such a moment, turning them off and raising the shades prior to takeoff replicates the ruh-roh lighting conditions exactly (barring smoke or open flame). If things go south, your eyes are already adapted to the lighting conditions, whatever they are. And I strongly suspect that the primary concern is with lighting conditions in the cabin; if you’ve survived a crash and exited the airframe, you’ve solved 95% of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/9 "2019-11-13T21:25:31Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Yes, I read it. I understand their rationale. It still seems counterproductive i.e. make it dark and open the shades. You need the shades open so passengers & crew can see outside in case of an emergency. As for brightness, you want the interior to be _darker_ than the outside. Human eyes take a long time to adjust to the dark, but it adjusts to bright light almost instantly. Try it yourself - go outside on a clear moonless night. At first you’ll only see a couple of stars. Keep looking for a while, and after a few minutes you’ll see a lot more stars (assuming you don’t have streetlamps shining down on you). Then get back indoors and turn the lights on; your eyes will adjust to the bright light in a few seconds. ---
**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/10 "2019-11-14T09:55:43Z")
You also want the shades open so that rescuers can see _in_ after the crash. Helpful to know which end is on fire, if there are any obvious survivors etc. And of course so that they can say at the press conference: “The passengers survived the initial impact but were unfortunately unable to successfully evacuate the aircraft due to a Mister R Sole blocking the way while trying to get his bag out of the overhead compartment.” ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/11 "2019-11-14T10:48:35Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Yes, I read it. I understand their rationale. It still seems counterproductive i.e. make it dark and open the shades. Planes don’t just land in daytime. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/12 "2019-11-14T12:31:48Z")
I don’t ever remember being on a flight where they asked passengers to raise the window shades. ---
**Author:** ![DerNils](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerNils](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerNils)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/13 "2019-11-14T12:54:14Z")
It is not always announced, the cabin crew checks individually when they also look if your tables up, seat belt closed, etc. If you shade is down (which is the exception) they will adress the person at the window directly. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/14 "2019-11-14T13:05:55Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I don’t ever remember being on a flight where they asked passengers to raise the window shades. Next time you fly close your shade as soon as you sit down. They’ll most likely ask you to open it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/15 "2019-11-14T13:19:06Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I don’t ever remember being on a flight where they asked passengers to raise the window shades. I do. It happens all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/16 "2019-11-14T14:09:15Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Next time you fly close your shade as soon as you sit down. They’ll most likely ask you to open it. Upon landing in Phoenix (during the daytime) passengers are asked to lower the shades after arrival at the gate to help keep the plane interior cool. We are routinely asked to open the shades before leaving the gate on a departing flight. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/17 "2019-11-14T15:22:14Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Upon landing in Phoenix (during the daytime) passengers are asked to lower the shades after arrival at the gate to help keep the plane interior cool. We are routinely asked to open the shades before leaving the gate on a departing flight. This is also the case in Panama and other tropical locations. ---
**Author:** ![ArslanWilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6de8d8/32.png) [@ArslanWilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArslanWilson)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/18 "2019-11-14T17:34:42Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Next time you fly close your shade as soon as you sit down. They’ll most likely ask you to open it. Unfortunately, it is not that common for US based carriers. My company is not based in the US, though I am, and have flown for domestic regionals in the past. The differences, in a lot of safety related areas, are quite frankly, staggering. And not just in training, but in actual procedures as well. Just as an example, our company policy is to be stable on approach --gear down, flaps & speed as required, and on alt profile-- no later than 1500ft agl. That’s more than 500ft higher than was required at one of the majors I flew with. As for this, whomever up front is the PM (Pilot Monitoring), has the responsibility to hear our FAs say “Blinds Up” (among a few other things) before we may be considered ready for T/O or Landing. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/19 "2019-11-14T21:21:12Z")
> [@EdelweissPirate](#): > > And I strongly suspect that the primary concern is with lighting conditions in the cabin; if you’ve survived a crash and exited the airframe, you’ve solved 95% of the problem. I’ve always understood that the primary reason was that so you can see what’s outside the plane before exiting, so you don’t jump out the emergency exit only to injure yourself by landing on some jagged piece of wreckage or some other hazard. It’s probably a little bit of both, though. > [@ArslanWilson](#): > > Unfortunately, it is not that common for US based carriers. My company is not based in the US, though I am, and have flown for domestic regionals in the past. Yeah, opening the window shades doesn’t seem to be a universal rule, but rather a policy at some airlines but not others. I’ve been on flights where they were strict about making sure all the shades were open for takeoff and landing, and others where they didn’t seem to care and took off with half the shades closed. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376/20 "2019-11-16T08:30:19Z")
It seems that every time we fly the announcements get longer and longer Tables fastened Seats in the upright position Blinds open Electronic devices off or in flight mode All bags placed in the overhead bin or under the seat away Electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablets, in hand Larger electronic devices, such as laptops and tablets stowed away No smoking No vaping And yes, tablets are mentioned twice. As our most recent flight was during the daytime and there was no in-flight movie, just the locator map), not too many people even bothered to close their window shades. Also the flight time was just under an hour. Barely enough time to eat the cheese sandwich and chocolate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cabin-lights-turned-down-on-takeoff/843376.md?page=2)